Artificial insemination is commonly used to increase pregnancy rates and overcome fertility problems for humans and is also often used to breed animals by using semen from males with desirable genetics. While many methods and devices are known for achieving artificial insemination, it is believed that many of the known techniques are inconvenient, expensive and have been less than successful in achieving higher pregnancy rates.
For example, in humans, artificial insemination is often accomplished by using the intrauterine insemination or cervical insemination in which semen is directly deposited into the uterus or the cervix, respectively, using a pipette. Another technique is cup insemination, in which a cervical cup is filled with 0.5-1 ml. of semen and placed over the patient's cervix.
Each of the above mentioned methods has its shortcomings. Cervical insemination may correlate with only about 10% of pregnancy rates. One reason may be a hostile cervical canal due to various factors such as viscous mucus, acidic mucus, infections, and sperm antibodies. Another reason may be a significant loss of semen that flows down to the vagina.
Intrauterine insemination does not offer significant advantage in pregnancy results as compared to cervical insemination (10%) and its main shortcoming is the loss of material to the cervix and vagina.
Various patents have proposed solutions for artificial insemination. U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,236 to Liegois describes an artificial insemination device for breeding animals, such as sows, including a catheter suitable for being introduced into the genital system so as to enable sperm to be discharged therefrom and a reservoir of sperm connected to the catheter. The catheter has a conduit with an end piece at a distal end thereof. The conduit is suitable for lodging in the neck of the animal's uterus. A ring is provided so as to form a tight seal between the reservoir and the catheter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,415 to Christine, et al. describes an apparatus for artificial insemination of mammals. An apparatus for depositing media into the uterus of a mammal includes a conical chamber that has a plurality of perforations and flaps. An exterior spiral formation is configured for traversing or penetrating cervical passageway. A sheath having a frusto-conical rearward end extends axially from an aft end of the conical chamber. A tubular depositing chamber extends axially from the conical chamber to a position beyond a fore end of the conical chamber. Coupled to the rearward end of the depositing chamber is an embryo or semen packaging unit. The tubular depositing chamber has an end that has an aperture to permit the flow of semen out of the depositing chamber and into the uterus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,260 to Thompson describes an apparatus and method for the application of spermatozoa to the intrauterine cavity of a female. In this patent, a first pressurizable chamber is introduced within an intrauterine cavity of a female. A second pressurizable chamber is introduced outwardly of the first pressurizable chamber. The first pressurizable chamber is filled with spermatozoa, and the outer (second) pressurizable chamber is filled with a pressurizable fluid, so as to affect discharge of the spermatozoa from the innermost first pressurizable chamber over an extended period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,665 to Nabil Muharib, describes a method for automated, prolonged slow-release, artificial intrauterine insemination. Motile sperm is introduced into the uterus in a programmed, organized and metered pattern over an extended period of time. A catheter is inserted into the uterine cavity and aliquots of sperm containing medium are injected at a rate of 10 to 20 mm/hr (approximately every 30 seconds) for between 4 to 6 hours. The motile sperm content of each aliquot is between 8,000 and 75,000.
A device is provided that comprises a flexible catheter having a delivery channel, a first end attachable to a pumping means, and a second end (uterine end) adapted to pass through the cervix and into the uterine cavity. The catheter is provided with an inflatable balloon adjacent the second end. Upon inflation of the balloon, the catheter is immobilized in the vagina. The pumping means delivers the aliquots of sperm containing medium through the delivery channel and into the uterus. The balloon is deflatable to permit the catheter's easy removal after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,654 to Todd Smith describes an apparatus for the time-released delivery of a selected preparation into a patient's uterine cavity. The apparatus includes an osmotic pump for expelling the selected preparation over time and a catheter for delivery the expelled preparation into the uterine cavity. An inflatable balloon on the catheter holds the apparatus in position in the patient (like U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,665).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,243 to Jeyendran describes a self-contained time-release artificial insemination device that introduces a bolus of semen into the cervical canal or uterus over a period of hours. The device includes a cervical cap adapted to conform and adhere to the cervix and includes an elongated nipple that extends in a perpendicular direction from the cap for insertion into the cervical canal or uterus. A time-release mechanism is provided in communication with the nipple for delivering semen through the nipple.